Removing glass treatment

[Millwheel]

My glass was coated in Gtechniq G1 18 months ago but has done the usual smeary thing. So how to remove? Ordinary cleaners had little effect.

On advice from Gtechniq I used the G4 cleaner to remove it and it does work, except I had to do it seven separate times with an IPA scrub between each one. That’s hand application, not machine. Still, at least there is a way of getting it off and G4 leaves a spotless screen, too - eventually. On screens without a coating it strips all the wax and stuff from wash and wax, roads etc. in one application -astonishing, best thing I’ve used. Not cheap though, but a lot more user friendly than cerium oxide powder. That goes everywhere you don’t want it to.

 

[Anonymous]

Isopropyl should remove it put some on a cloth give each pane a good rub over 2-3 times

 

[Millwheel]

I’ve tried neat IPA, acetone, vinegar, butoxyethanol, tar remover, all sorts of commercial screen cleaners, you name it. None of them stripped the coating and some made the smearing worse. Mechanical removal is the only thing that works reliably, it seems. My policy now is no more coatings and just keep an optically clean screen!

 

[mickjaguar]

Autoglym Glass Polish. I've tried many other things, but always come back to this.

It's abrasive and creates a lot of dust, (so the dash needs covering when cleaning the windscreen inside). Gets glass completely clean in one hit.

 

[Cluck]

Stupid question but could you not just have put a fresh coat of G1 on, as I thought it was only designed to last "up to" 2 years anyway? I'll be reapplying mine come March/April, as that will be 2 years since I applied it.

I did a quick Google after seeing your post about this and there are quite a few similar reports. I must confess, though, it's been perfect for me and far less agro than my previous regime of monthly RainX applications.

 

[Tel]

I’ve tried neat IPA, acetone, vinegar, butoxyethanol, tar remover, all sorts of commercial screen cleaners, you name it. None of them stripped the coating and some made the smearing worse. Mechanical removal is the only thing that works reliably, it seems. My policy now is no more coatings and just keep an optically clean screen!

Brake cleaner on a clay bar.

 

[Philskill]

G1 is a very strong bonding coating, so does need an abrasive cleaner like G4 or cerium oxide.

I dont like these coatings on the windscreen myself (love them on side windows and rear and have done the rear screen of my f-type) and removed G1 from a previous car windscreen, also removed a coating that a dealer had put on the windscreen of another car which caused the worst smearing with the wipers I ever saw, to the point it was dangerous, so had to get the polisher on that with G4 and even a courser paint polish.

rear screen of my f-type at the end of this quick video

https://youtu.be/xDUKJKrtfG8